


you can hold my hand if no one's home

by boston_sized_city



Category: In Strange Woods (Podcast)
Genre: Fluff, Homecoming, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Light Angst, M/M, Secret Relationship, Slow Dancing, They're In Love Your Honor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 16:28:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29421597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boston_sized_city/pseuds/boston_sized_city
Summary: bobby asks his boyfriend to homecoming their junior year, it doesn't exactly go as planned.
Relationships: Jacob Wells & Kathy Wells, Jacob Wells/Bobby Anderson
Kudos: 7





	you can hold my hand if no one's home

**Author's Note:**

> title from line without a hook by ricky montgomery
> 
> cw for referenced homophobia, some internalized homophobia and fear of being kicked out

“One of my cufflinks fell.” Jacob sounded panicked when he approached, his voice a loud whisper. “I can’t find it.”

The snow was only getting colder. They’d almost been inside, but Jacob had stopped and turned around, looking at the ground as he walked back. Bobby dug his heel further into the snow, curling his toes as an attempt at warmth. “Did you put it on? Maybe it’s in your pocket.”

“It’s not-- It’s not in my pocket, I looked, it’s not there.” His eyes were still on the ground, and he was pulling anxiously at his empty sleeve.

“Did you have it on when you got out of the car?” Bobby asked, trying to ignore the stinging wind in his eyes. He shivered, his coat doing little to keep him warm. 

Jacob nodded slightly. “I think so? I think it fell in-- in the snow. It’s somewhere, I can’t lose it-” He was getting more frantic. He pulled off his coat, dropping it onto the sidewalk over the thin layer of snow and kneeling on it to dig through the snowbank. 

Bobby frowned, watching him shiver as he searched through the snow with his bare hands. He took his own coat off and draped it carefully over the other’s shoulders before sitting next to him. “You’re gonna get frostbite.”

“Don’t care.” Jacob was grabbing snow by the fistfuls. It was less like looking for something now and more like he was taking revenge against the snow.

Bobby reached over and held his wrist, and Jacob stilled his hand, letting the other boy take it. “We’re outside,” he said, like it was something he needed to point out.

“It’s cold. Hold my hand.” Bobby smiled a little as he felt Jacob shift to hold his hand better. He stayed like that for a minute before letting go and getting up, going to look on the other side of the sidewalk. Something glinted in the snow, and he bent to pick it up, brightening as he saw it was the missing cufflink. He stood and turned. “Hey, Jacob, I found it!”

Jacob looked up from where he was looking, his shoulders slumping in relief. He stood up, picking up his own jacket and putting it on, then went over and took the cufflink from Bobby’s hand, giving him his jacket back in exchange. "Thank you," he said quietly, and wrapped his arms around him for what might have been supposed to be a brief hug.

"We're outside," Bobby said, and Jacob tightened his arms around him, burying his face in his shoulder. "Jacob, I mean it this time," he said, biting his cheek.

"No one is out here," Jacob said, still not letting go of him. "And the second we get in there, I can't hold you. Let me have this."

"Jacob…" Bobby hugged him back for a moment. "C'mon, I'll help you with your cufflink, and then we'll go in."

The other boy pulled away, looking at him. He held out his arm, and Bobby took the cufflink from him.

It took a little longer than usual, as Jacob's cuff was now slightly damp and covered with snow. Bobby finally got it, and smiled. "Ready to go in?" he asked, looking up at Jacob.

Jacob didn't answer right away. When he did, he was quiet, not looking at Bobby. "What's the point?" he asked. "We go in there and we can't dance together."

"There's more to do than just dancing--"

"We can't dance together, while everyone else is dancing together. While everyone gets to enjoy the night with their dates, we get to sit in the corner and talk, I guess. But what's the point of that? We could talk at home! Literally anywhere else! The only difference is when we're here we have to be quiet and lord knows if I'll be able to even hear you!"

He looked at the snow, kicking it once. "Why did you even ask me?"

There was silence between them for a moment. "Because I wanted to do something with you," Bobby said eventually. "I don't know. I wanted… I wanted something normal. And, shit, Jacob, maybe I just wanted to bring my boyfriend to homecoming because that's what you _do."_ He tried to ignore how his eyes stung in the cold, blinking back tears.

"That's what _girls_ do," Jacob said quietly. He dragged his sleeve across his eyes. "I'm sorry. I want to, but I want to be able to go in there and be with you. Dance, like everyone else, and talk without being scared someone might hear us."

It was quiet again, for a longer moment. Bobby knew that this had been a terrible idea. He knew it'd been a mistake, asking Jacob to a dance they couldn't go to together. He took a breath. "Then let's go home. We can have a quiet night at your house."

"Just us?" Jacob asked, and relaxed into a small smile when Bobby nodded. He held his hand for a short minute before they made their way back to the car.

* * *

The house, thankfully, was empty when they got there. Jacob pulled off his snow covered jacket and tossed it towards a laundry basket by the entryway. He went into the living room, looking back at Bobby. "Movie night?" he asked.

Bobby grinned a little, walking over to him and wrapping an arm around Jacob's waist. "Actually, I was thinking. You wanted to dance with me, didn't you?"

Jacob's cheeks flushed red. "That wasn't-- We don't have to, it's not important--"

"Shut _up_ , I want to dance with you." He tugged him a little closer, and smiled when Jacob's arms settled over his shoulders.

"There's no music," Jacob said, but he was already moving, letting Bobby guide him gently.

"Don't need music." He stopped, for just a second, and Jacob pulled him closer, wrapping his arms more firmly around his neck and tucking his head under Bobby's chin.

"I love you," Bobby said into his hair, unsure if he could hear him.

Then he looked up at him, his eyes wide. "Please tell me I'm not hearing things," he said quietly, his voice tight.

Bobby shook his head slightly. "I love you, Jacob. And I'm glad we ditched."

Jacob smiled brightly. "I love you, too," he said, and Bobby could tell it wasn't easy for him.

To be honest, it hadn't been easy for him to say either. He'd been meaning to, for months, really. But he'd been trying to work himself up to it, and had chickened out more than once.

He smiled back, hugging Jacob with both arms now. He almost said something else, but bit it back, and instead let go of Jacob, bringing his hands up to the other boy's face and looking at him for another second before pulling him down for a kiss.

It didn't last too long, though, both of them pulling away as the door opened. Jacob stepped back, moving to stand towards the couch. Not that that had done anything. 

Kathy Wells stood in the doorway, her eyes wide and focused on her son. "Jacob?"

Bobby looked over at him, and saw he was close to tears, his hands shaking at his sides. He looked terrified. "I'm sorry," he said, barely audible, and Bobby was unsure if he'd even really spoken.

Kathy walked into the house, shutting the door behind her. She went to Jacob, setting her hands on his arms. "For what?"

"You wanted a normal son, and I'm _not."_ Tears fell now, and it took everything Bobby had in him not to go over and comfort him.

Kathy gently wiped his cheeks with her thumb. "I love you no matter what, you know that. You're my son." She kissed his forehead, holding him close for a moment before pulling back.

"I didn't-- I didn't want to tell you." Jacob swallowed. "I wanted to wait, I wasn't ready. And-- And I didn't want…" He looked over at Bobby. "I'm sorry."

Bobby shook his head slightly. He'd been trying to avoid thinking about what this could mean for him, he didn't want to think about that now.

Kathy looked at him, too. "I won't tell anyone, Bobby," she said gently. "And you're always welcome here, okay?"

He almost wanted to cry at that. Kathy had always been nice and welcoming when he'd been around before, but he'd always been terrified of what she'd think if she ever found out. He nodded slightly. "Thank you," he said, his throat suddenly feeling sore.

She turned back to Jacob. "I want you to talk to me about this. Do you understand that? I want you to come to me for advice, and I want you to tell me when people are giving you a hard time about it, on purpose or not. And I want to hear when you're happy, too."

She kissed his cheek and pulled him into another hug. "I won't tell Peregrine, either, I'll let you tell her on your own time."

Jacob hugged his mom tight. "Thank you," he said, the words shaky.

He stayed there for a long time, until Kathy said she needed to start dinner, and left the two alone.

Bobby sat down on the couch, and Jacob curled up against his side, finally having calmed down. "Your mom's cool," Bobby said, trying to change the mood a bit, and Jacob laughed, burying his face in his boyfriend's shoulder.

And they stayed there until dinner, and Bobby decided it was definitely better than what homecoming could have been.


End file.
